Statins are already the United Kingdom’s most commonly prescribed medicines – roughly 6 million Brits take the drugs on a regular basis to lower the risk of a cardiovascular incident, in line with US practice. But in continental Europe, views tend to differ.

French doctors prescribe more patented statins than their European counterparts. The country’s health service spends €1.2 billion on statins every year, double the budget of some European countries. EURACTIV France reports.